Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,934

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John, New Brunswick and in Bansko

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint John, New Brunswick and in Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,934 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $1,934
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $2,885 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $2,885
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $3,836 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $3,836
Bansko $1,979

Saint John, New Brunswick costs about 102% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint John, New Brunswick sits 43% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.89

$8.66 BGN 15.06

111.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 CA$83.5

$44.94 BGN 78.2

31.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$8.78 BGN 15.28

18.79%

Cappuccino

$3.00 CA$4.25

$2.33 BGN 4.05

28.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.57 BGN 2.74

7.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$0.82 BGN 1.43

29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 CA$6.26

$1.68 BGN 2.92

163.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CA$7.08

$1.98 BGN 3.45

153.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.07

$1.73 BGN 3.00

25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.77

$0.80 BGN 1.40

233.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$1.44 BGN 2.51

116.67%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$2.36 BGN 4.10

46.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 CA$18.61

$9.39 BGN 16.34

40.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.56

$6.41 BGN 11.15

82.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 CA$18.06

$8.48 BGN 14.76

50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 CA$6.77

$1.31 BGN 2.28

265.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-9.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.91

$1.73 BGN 3.01

141.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.51

$1.94 BGN 3.38

101.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CA$2.83

$0.94 BGN 1.63

112.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$0.76 BGN 1.32

189.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$0.55 BGN 0.95

349.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$0.59 BGN 1.02

138.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 CA$19.67

$3.25 BGN 5.66

328.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 CA$13.99

$5.20 BGN 9.05

90.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$1.09 BGN 1.89

64.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$1.68 BGN 2.92

26.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 CA$2.92

$0.84 BGN 1.45

145.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 CA$79.2

$27.06 BGN 47.09

107.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$1.34 BGN 2.34

117.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$0.65 BGN 1.14

63.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 CA$24.52

$10.06 BGN 17.51

72.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-15.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.3K CA$34.4K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-16.51%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

-10.15%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 CA$169

$92.4 BGN 161

29.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$41.55 CA$58.7

$14.52 BGN 25.26

186.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CA$91.4

$12.32 BGN 21.43

425.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$31.70 BGN 55.2

64.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.03 CA$49.52

$8.53 BGN 14.84

310.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 CA$18.07

$5.62 BGN 9.78

127.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$378 CA$534

$230 BGN 401

64.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CA$15.7K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

390.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 CA$68.3

$30.10 BGN 52.4

60.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.16 CA$49.71

$19.62 BGN 34.13

79.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$45.86 BGN 79.8

124.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$47.69 BGN 83.0

122.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,400

$518 BGN 902

91.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 CA$1,158

$357 BGN 621

129.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 CA$2,277

$614 BGN 1,069

162.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 CA$1,843

$569 BGN 990

129.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,018 CA$2,854

$1,191 BGN 2,073

69.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 CA$2,959

$959 BGN 1,669

118.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 CA$3,396

$1,704 BGN 2,965

41.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

2.99

56.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saint John, New Brunswick

$819 42.4%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 56.4% $462

Groceries & Markets

Saint John, New Brunswick

$350 18.1%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 45.2% $158

Eating Out

Saint John, New Brunswick

$257 13.3%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 43.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John, New Brunswick

$226 11.7%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 47.2% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John, New Brunswick

$131 6.8%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 51% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John, New Brunswick

$78 4%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 44.8% $35

Getting Around

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.8%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 51.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $990 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $518 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

6 h ahead of Saint John, New Brunswick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,063

8,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Saint John, New Brunswick Bansko 6,830 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint John, New Brunswick
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint John, New Brunswick vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick, $956 in Bansko – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,901 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $45.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 102%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Saint John, New Brunswick at $1,934. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John, New Brunswick it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint John, New Brunswick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.